On the Front-Line for Puerto Rico

3 Grassroots Organizations, 1 Volunteer Force

Operation Time to Shine empowers volunteers with the resources of Serve PR, Island People Recovery and your donations to directly aid the people of hurricane stricken Puerto Rico. Our volunteers work fluidly with each resource to distribute food, potable water, conduct emergency home repairs and provide basic medical services while building sustainable local resources.

Serve, PR is dedicated to providing immediate relief to the people of Puerto Rico. Our mission is to support the thousands of Service industry professionals affected by the hurricanes, and to help rebuild all aspects of the hospitality industry, promoting growth, community and sustainability for the future of Puerto Rico.”

Island People Recovery, I.P.R., is a grassroots campaign to confront the immediate recovery needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Our mission is to use local and sustainable resources (materials, services, labor, etc.) to address the vast demands of the recovery efforts of Puerto Rico. Our long term efforts are focused on education, housing and healthcare. This local approach to rebuilding with sustainable systems both stabilizes and invigorates the local economy providing Independence to its people.

Ready to help?

Volunteer

Journal

Say hey to the lovely people that have given their all to the relief effort these last 5 months: @carrie_bacon @kimcheepower @bobby_ever #servepr #operationtimetoshine

Our trusty “Bianca” the Jeep has resolved to get some rest. You served well my dear.

01/2018 #PuertoRico // No electricity, no food, no gas? Won’t say “no problem” but, as you can see, the #puertorican community is a resilient one. Checkout this local leader cooking 🥘 up supplies and sharing them with the neighborhood. // 450k still don’t have electricity in Puerto Rico, but with this beautiful spirit and your help we see great things ahead. #humanitarian #outdoorcooking #boricua

01/18 #PuertoRico // This is @bobby_ever and @partyfartman sorting #food and #basicgoods for delivery to #peopleinneed. Unfortunately our main vehicle broke down this week, limiting us to carrying just a couple of boxes at a time in a small car. Any leads that can help us in acquiring a #4wheeldrive #truck to use in our effort would be much appreciate. #humanitarian #reliefefforts #payitforward #challenge #dogood #hurricanemaria // @ford @all_dodge_trucks

01/18 #PuertoRico - @bobby_ever knows it’s good to have a tarping buddy. Our volunteers have been tarping roofless homes for over 100 days now. It’s time to think about permanent roofs. Help us keep families safe and dry. Consider donating to our effort. Link in bio. #operationtimetoshine #hurricanemaria #naturaldisaster #humanitariancrisis #giveback #makingadifference

12/17 #PuertoRico — @kimcheepower and @bobby_ever on top of a one room roofless home hoping to do enough to keep the rain out for residents. We hope to raise funds to actually rebuild roofs next. To donate to our efforts see the link in bio. #humanitarian #reliefefforts #hurricanemaria #operationtimetoshine

12/17 #PuertoRico — In line for much needed food, water and supplies, but still smiling. #humanitarian #hurricanemaria #operationtimetoshine

12/17 #PuertoRico - The work continues. @carrie_bacon here clearing a roof for tarps. Please donate (link in bio) and to help us to #rebuild

#PuertoRico — A message from our photographer/documentarian @alliefredericks "To the people of the world who give because they have, who do because it's needed, who help because they can. To the ones who empathize, share and care without hesitation or question. Today I'm thankful for all of you. The weight of the world is lighter with all of your hands." #operationtimetoshine #ServePR #IslandPeopleRecovery #hurricanemaria #hurricaneirma #humanitarian #photography

12/2/17 #canovanas #puertorico — reported by @kimcheepower of #ServePR “Yes, someone is currently residing in this “house”. In order to raise money for rebuilding of roofs, we had to take a census of how many roofs are needed. Just on this street that stretches for about 5 blocks, we counted 27. That’s just houses for roofs, doesn’t include homes that need a complete rebuild. Now, multiply that by a community of 5,000+. That’s Canovanas. #operationtimetoshine #hurricanemaria #humanitarian

#Loiza, Villa Colobo #PuertoRico // reported by @kimcheepower // After María, this little “guagua” (food truck) had zero money or supplies. But even if they were operational their local customers no longer have the means to buy food from it.
Enter the human spirit: As soon as they received a donation of food a couple weeks ago, they cooked it up for 2 communities, Villa Colobo, and Colobó, feeding 250+ people until the food and gas ran out.
Our volunteers will work with #ServePR to reopen this community kitchen, w/ donations of food and gas. We will also be installing a cistern so the community can have potable water. There is a plot of land next to it that will be turned into a community garden.
We humbly request you donations to keep this “guagua” operating so they can feed the hundreds of people who are unable to feed themselves. #operationtimetoshine

11/30/17 #Loiza #PuertoRico — 60+ days after #hurricaneMaria and #safedrinkingwater is still an issue for too many on the island.
Here is @kimcheepower installing a #SawyerFilter on a standard bucket. The cool thing about these is that they can be attached to almost anything you can poke a hole in that can hold water. They have a 0.02 Micron absolute hollow fiber membrane purifier, that removes 99.997% of #viruses, 99.99999% of #bacteria, and 99.9999% of Protozoa/Cysts, filter output is 1-liter per minute with gravity #operationtimetoshine

11/25/17 #Canovanas #ElCaño #PuertoRico — This is the home of a strong female community leader of El Caño. El Caño is one of the areas in Canovanas suffering from racism that prevents supplies getting to her neighborhood.
There’s a creek that runs directly behind their house. The mosquitos are literally eating the children alive. This is an #SOS for mosquito nets and repellent. // donation link in bio #givingtuesday

11/19/17 #Canovanas #PuertoRico – @kimcheepower and @carrie_bacon went around and did medical checks on homebound residents. Among them they found a man whose main Oxygen tank was in the red and his back up is empty. He is homebound due to no access to a wheelchair. Kelly was able to install and train him and his nephew on a filter so he now has potable water. He has had no access to medical care and therefor has no way to get the life sustaining oxygen he so needs. There is so much to be done. #operationtimetoshine #hurricanemaria

11/18/17 #Utuado #PuertoRico – This mans house was completely leveled during the storm. His foot is partially amputated and non-healing. It took 3 of our team (@carrie_bacon and our 2 docs) to clean the wound sufficiently to redress it. He lives under the overhang of a neighbors house and is fed by what little the community has to spare. So much is needed. Your help is paramount. #operationtimetoshine #hurricanemaria

This is from a week or so back, but here we are 60+ days after #hurricanemaria hit #puertorico and more than half of the island continues to live in the dark. #GivingTuesday donation link in bio

11/13/17 #Canovanas, #PuertoRico — report from team member @kimcheepower “This little one kept pulling on my leg saying “Tengo hambre”. No child should ever have to go hungry. Ever. I gave him 2 plates of arroz con pollo. He then threw flowers at me. Well, first it was rocks. Then flowers. 💔” #OperarionTimeToShine @islandpeoplerecovery #ServePR #hurricanemaria

11/3/17 #Canovanas, #PuertoRico — reported and recorded by team member @kimcheepower “They were so happy to see us. We were the first help they’d seen since #HurricaneMaria. Seven+ weeks...Seven+ long, dark, wet, mosquito filled weeks. #OperationTimeToShine @islandpeoplerecovery #servepr

11/3/17 #Canovanas, #PuertoRico — With no roof, all belongings have been lost. Just as desperate of a cry for water and food, these residents are pleading for towels, bed sheets, and mosquito netting. Photo by @kimcheepower #OperationTimeToShine @islandpeoplerecovery #servepr